41: Join Ariel, Stef, and their distinguished guests, Soo Jin and Linda—authors and mental health professionals—as they bond over Pixar’s Turning Red. This episode covers the film’s profound themes of family, identity, mental health, and cultural nuances. Our discussion celebrates the movie and the real-life reflections it inspires, especially during AANHPI Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. Just in time to celebrate Pixar Fest, this conversation promises to bridge the gap between popular culture and professional insights.

Disney/Pixar Turning Red: Mei’s Little Box of Big Feelings Storybooks

Free Downloadable Turning Red Activity Sheets Developed and Provided by Disney/PixarDownload

Summary
 
Summary of HPOE41 

• 00:00 Introduction: Introduction to the episode with Ariel and Stef welcoming guests Soo Jin and Linda, setting up the discussion about Pixar’s Turning Red as it relates to AANHPI Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and Pixar Fest.
• 01:02 Turning Red Discussion Kickoff: Discussion on the significance of Turning Red, how it relates to the personal experiences of the hosts and guests, especially during Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian Heritage Month.
• 02:35 Watch Party Experience: Guests share their unique experiences of watching Turning Red through a virtual watch party, emphasizing community and shared experiences in appreciating the film.
• 07:01 Cultural and Emotional Impact: Delving into how Turning Red reflects personal and cultural narratives, exploring themes of adolescence, identity, and the Asian diaspora experience.
• 19:34 Deep Dive into Themes: Analysis of the major themes in Turning Red such as identity, family pressure, and the intersection of culture and personal growth, including the challenges faced by second-generation immigrants.
• 34:18 Professional Insights and Book Discussion: Guests discuss how the film’s themes are relevant in their professional practice as mental health professionals and talk about their book, Where I Belong: Healing Trauma and Embracing Asian American Identity, offering insights into therapy and cultural humility.
• 40:45 Engagement and Representation: Strategies discussed for engaging communities and readers through the themes of the movie, and the importance of representation in media.
• 47:30 Conclusion and Further Resources: Conclusion of the discussion, reflections on the impact of Turning Red, and information on where listeners can find related resources or engage further with the themes discussed

Transcription
 
Ariel Landrum (00:00)
Hello everyone, welcome to Happiest Pod on Earth. I’m Ariel, a licensed therapist who uses clients’ passions and fandoms to help them grow and heal from trauma and mental unwellness. 
Stefanie Bautista (00:10)
And I’m Stef. I’m an educator who uses my passions and fandoms to help my students grow and learn about themselves and the world around them. 
Soo Jin Lee (00:16)
Hello everyone, my name is Soo Jin Lee. I’m a licensed therapist passionate about supporting Asian Americans address mental health challenges surrounding identity and intergenerational healing. 
Linda (00:26)
Hi, my name is Linda Yoon. I’m a licensed psychotherapist, social worker who is passionate about helping people heal from trauma and recovery. 
Ariel Landrum (00:35)
And here at Happiest Pod, we dissect Disney mediums with a critical lens. Why? Because we are more than just fans and we expect more from the mediums we consume. 
Stefanie Bautista (00:34)
Mm-hmm. 
That’s right. And so on this episode, everybody, what are we going to discuss 
Ariel Landrum (00:47)
Yeah, so everyone heard we have some very special, awesome guests, Soo Jin and Linda, and we thought this would be the most opportune time to talk about a film that came out essentially during the pandemic that we have revisited a few times, but never got to have on the show. And that is the iconic Pixar movie, Turning Red. And right now it’s Pixar Fest, so I’m hoping that at Disneyland we will be able to see Mei Mei and her mom. 
Stefanie Bautista (01:10)
Yes, and not only is it Pixar Fest, it is also AAPI Heritage Month, which is Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian Heritage Month. So we would love to celebrate this amazing movie that spoke so dearly to my heart and to a lot of people who I know’s hearts, because growing up as an Asian American was a very unique experience. And it is so amazing to see that on the big screen. 
Unfortunately, the little screen at first, because like as Ariel mentioned, it did come out during COVID. And I’m actually curious to know how did you all watch it? Did you watch it right when it came out? Did you watch it a little later? I know when you have the ability to just watch things on your own, not everybody flocks to the theater. So I’m curious to know how did you all watch it the first time? 
Linda (01:53)
Actually our staff, Soo Jin and I, who run a group practice, we have around that time we had about 20 staff, mostly Asian American therapists, and we were very excited about this film coming out. And we used to do, since everybody’s working in the remote right, we used to do Happy Hour Friday. We didn’t really drink, we just watched movie together and had boba. That’s what we did. 
Ariel Landrum (02:09)
Mm-hmm. 
No, beautiful, beautiful. 
Soo Jin Lee (02:17)
That’s the drink, the boba. 
Linda (02:19)
The boba. And there used to be a lot of platforms that you can share screen and watch movies together during this time, right? So we actually watched like about seven of us gathered together. And that was my first time watching Turning Red. 
Stefanie Bautista (02:19)
Yes. 
Ariel Landrum (02:24)
Mm-hmm. 
Soo Jin Lee (02:30)
Me too, yeah. So essentially we had a watch party at our work, which was really amazing. And this was, Turning Red was the one that everyone wanted to watch and we were so excited to watch it together. And so we definitely watched it on the mini screen for me because I had a laptop at the time. But even so, you know, in the mini screen of my laptop, I was just so zoned into the movie. 
Ariel Landrum (02:34)
Mm-hmm. 
Hahaha! 
Stefanie Bautista (02:45)
Right, yeah, yeah. 
Ariel Landrum (02:52)
Yeah, yeah, so I did watch it at home. My TV is 78 inches, so I don’t think it feels many to me. And I watched it with at the time my roommate because my partner was working at the ski resort and it was nice having a conversation with my roommate because they are 
a non-binary white person, and they got to ask questions about my experience and if I understood like some of the themes happening in the movie. And I was presenting the themes that like stuck out to me. And it was really interesting how they had noted a part of the movie that I hadn’t considered because I was so engrossed in how it like solidified my experience as diaspora, which was the part of the movie where there was like a potential hint towards like a period. 
Soo Jin Lee (03:34)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. 
Ariel Landrum (03:34)
that never gets discussed anywhere. And I had so bypassed that. And they had highlighted how that was really so pivotal for them to see and how sad it was that we weren’t seeing it in theaters because o...